Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-08-20
AccOMAC q II. VA. sATURDA YggzzAUGUsT 90 1881.
CT ARIAN1SM.

Z A RIAN1SM.
DR. IaasGE's SERMON AT THE
tlAMPToNs.
Bieotry Sid sectarIanism Disgust Peo-
pie ssas6thc Christian Religion and
Hlnders the Triumph of the Gospel.
Intolcraase Never Put Anything Down.
TIE HaEFToNs, August l4-Today the
Rev. T. ;DpstYitt Talmage's sermon Is "Con-
corning tlsasBigots,n aud the text, "Thcn said
they unto ;lifif say now Shibboleth; and lie
said Sibb6eth; for he could not frame to
pronolncenght Then they took him md
slew hin!s the passages of Jordan" -
Doyouin5tce the difference of pronunciar
ton between shibboleth and sibbolethi A
very small unimportant difference, you
say. An,fYetst That difference was the differ
eice beIws.,a lie and death for great manly
people Tao Lords people, Gilead and
Ephraim, soS into q great q ght, aud Ephraim.
wns wors8 aud son fhea retrsdt sscalie
to tho fo9@ sc the river Jordan to;
cross. orr was wen that all Eplira-
mites cotSipgs there be slain. But how
could ita be found out who were
Ephraimites? They were detected by their:
pronunciation Shibboleth was word that
s.ood for Sliyeris The Ephraimites had
brogue Of Sheir own, and when they tried to
say shibboieth always left out the sound OF
the Oh Then it wus asked that they say
shibbolethShey said sioboeth, and were slain
@Thcn saitsjthey .unto him, Say now Shibbo-
leth; and bs said Sibboleth, for he could not
frame to pronounce 1t right. Then they took
him and slsw:hin at the passage OF jordan"
A very shall difference, you say. between
Gilead and Ephraim, and yet how much in
tolerance hbout5 that small difference. The
Lords tribes IN our time-by which mean
the difrer6it denominations of Christians
sometimes smagnify very small difference,
and the o1ydifference between scores OF de-
nominations today is tho difference between
shibboctha md sibboleth.
The chuHch OF God Is divided into great
number oil denomination Time would fail
me to tell dfSthe Calvinists, and the Arniil-
ians, and the Sabbatarinns and the Baxter
ians, and tho Dunkers, and the Shakers, and
tho QualeTs, and the Methodiscs and the
Bnptists, spnd the EpiscopalinlIs, and the
Lutherans,and the Congregationalists, and
the Prest5Stcrians, and the Spiritunlists, and
a score of other denominations Of reGgionists,
some OF them founded by very good men,
some OF them founded by very egotistic men,
and sonle:of them founded by very bad men,
But as demand for myself liberty OF con-
science, Ismust give that same liberty to
every other man, remembering tbas lie no
more differs from me than differ from him.
I advocat9the largest liberty In oil religious
belief and form Of worship. In art, in
politics, intmorals, and in religion let there
b no gagslaw, no moving OF the previous
question, no persecution, no intolerance.
Yos1 know that the cir and the water keep
pure by Constant circulation, and think
there Is a stendoncy ip religious discussion TO
ratification and moral health. Between the
Fourth and the Sixteenth centuries the church
proposed to make people think Alright by pro
hioitinz discussion and by strong censorship
OF the press, and by rack, and Gibbet, and
hot lead down the throat tried to mako peo-
pie orthodox; but il was discovered that you
cannot change mans belief by twisting
OF his head, and that you cannot mako man
see things differently by putting an awl
through his-eycs. There is something ina
mans conscience which will hurl of the
mountainsthat you threw upon ic, and, uI-
Staged OF tho ffe, out Of the flame willmnke
red wings off wiSick the marty fmonnt.to.
glory.
Fourth and Sixteenth centuries, people went
from the house Of God into tho most appal-
ling iniquity, and right along BY consecrated
affairs there were tidesof drunkenness and
liccntiousness such as the world never heard
of, and the worry sewerp OF perdition broke
loose md flooded the church. After while
the printing pres,uas freed, and it broke the
shackles Of the human mind. Then there
came large number Of bad books, but where
there was enc man bostf,e to the Christian
religion there wore twenty men ready to ad-
yocate it; 30 1 have not any nervousness IN
regard to this battle going GA between truth
and error.
The truth Will conquer just as certainly as
that God is stronger than the devil. Lot
error run II you only let truth run along
with it. Urged ON by sleptic'5 shout and
transeendentalist's spur, let it run. Gods
angels Of wrath are In hot pursuit, and
ouicker than eagles beak clutches out
hawks heert dod's vengeance will tear 1t to
pieces.
soctarianisln origin, Ito evils and its
curses There arc those who would make us
think that tits monster with horns and
hoofs, is religion. shall chase IL to its bid
ing place. and drag It out Of the caverns of
darkness and rip off It's hide But I want to
make distinction between bigotry and the
lawful fondness for peculiar religious beliefs
and forms Of worship. Ihave no admiration
for Nottingham.
In world Of such tremendous vicissitude
and temptation, and with soul that must
after while stand before throne Of insult
ferablo brightness, In a dag when the rock
ing of the mountains and the flaming Of the
heavens and The uphcavel Of the sea shall be
among the least OF tho eIcitements, to give
account for every thought, word, action.
preference and di.iike-that man Is mad who
his no religious preference. But our early
education, our physical temperament our
mental constitution will very much decide
our form Of worship
A style Of psalmody that may please me
nav displcaso you. Some would like to have
a minister in gown, and bands, and surplice,
and others prefer to have minister i'll plain
citizen's apparel. Some arc most impressed
whom q little child is presented at the altar
and sprinkled of the waters Of holy bene-
dlicto i, sin the name of the Father, and of
tbe Son. and OF the holy Ghost;n and others
are moro impressed when the penitent comes
up5 out OF the river, his garments dripping
with the waters OF q baptism which signifies
the washing away Of sin. Let either have
his own way. One man likes no noise in
PRAYER. not word, not whisper. Another
maj, lust as good, prefers by gesticulation and
exclamation to express his devotional aspira-
tions One is Just as good as the other.
every man fully persuaded in his own